Blubber-slicing implement



v '1",s42,625 pt- 1927' E. c. NORTON BLUBBER SLICING IMPLEMENT Y FiledAug. 27, 1926 auozntoz I]. C Nari/ow.

i l I avttozneql' I Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDWIN c. NORTON, or ARGATA, CALIFORNIAQ j BLU'BBER-SLICINGv ltrhnivrmv'r.

Application filed August 27, 131,961

This invention relates to an implement for removing'b'lubber from whalesand one'ob ject of the invention is to PIOVldQ' an imple-' ment of thischaracter by means of which blubber upon a whales body may be cut intostrips preparatory to rem0v1ng1t from the whale.

"Anotherobjeot of the invention isj to provide the implement' with ahandle resembling v a draft beam, and by means of whichablade carriedthereby may be easily dr'awn'through' the b'lubber.

Another object of the invention 1s to so construct the handle ordraftbeam that it 1 may be easily grasped by workmen atoppo site sides of itand either a pulling or a pushing action exerted. f

1 Another object of the invention is to ro vide the implement withabutting blade de- 0 pending from one end ofthe handle and adapted "tobe swung vertically to an ad justed position an dreleas'a bly secured;

'Anothe'r object of the invention 1s to so formthe ,iblade that itmay'readily out the blubber into strips and also extend beneath theblubber and. loosen it at opposite sldes of the'eiit. 1,; j

Another object of the invention is to per mit, a blade applied to thehandle orfdraft beam to be removed and one" of a modifi d formsubstituted therefor.

"Theiinvention is-illiistrated pay g i aiwh rb nfi i jjIF'gur'e ,1isjafperspeet' ve \IVIGJW of'the m? 3 proved blubberlremovingimpllement' 1 Figure; 21 is a; fragmentary fvj ew show ng thefbladeinside elevationanda portionpf the draft beam, or handle,",- inlongitudinal fFigiireB is a view sim'ilaf- ,ojfFlgure 2 showing amodified A form of blade connect ed' withthehandle'; l

I Thei handleori draft-team 1 of the nnf proved blubber removing,implement maybe formed of Wood or any suitable material,

which will ,be;. strong and at the'fsameftime,

' light {in weight so that it J mayjbe readily handled. At one end the,"draft beamf formed with a longitudinally extending slot 0 2 and at itsother or} forward end,the 'draft beam wcarries aiclevisB'providedfwithan eye 4 so that a tractori'or'a cable wound-pp'on a poweroperated drum may be engaged. with the draft beam to move the implemen'tfo'r wardly; Sinc'e it is intend-edt'o hawthe implementusually'operatedb'y hand there has been provided bars 5 which projecttransverse'ly fromfoppos'ite sides of' the draft beam and anintermediate bar/6. The bars 5 and 6: arespaeed from each other longitudinally 'of'the draft, beam andthe bars 5 are braced b strips "7preferably formed of i metal and having-their inner ends securedtoopposltefs de faces of the draft beanilrear -f wardly of'lthe bars andtheirjforward ends seeured upon the'o'ut'er. end portionsofilthe bill's;"Disks 8 are secured upon the outer end portions of the bars 6 to takethe'place. ofi' the strips and preventthe handsreadily sl pping-out ofengagement with the bars when theimplement is in use. f-It will beunderstood that 'if'des'ired strips could also be provided for the bars,6 .,or the bars 5 provided with 'abutm e'nt. disks-similar t0. the disksIt will-befr eadily understood that when the mafchine is in use oneormore men standat opposite sides" of the draft beam and by grasping thebars, drag the ill)". plementforwardly. 1f l l The blade 9 which isshown in Figures 1 and 12 is formed of strong tempered metal and at its"bottom carries a shoe 1O which is sides of the bla de and" alsoproject's forwardly; and frea'rwardly therefrom. The blade extendsvertically and" at its upper end, is provided with; a forwardlyextending arm 11 havingjopenings 12 and; 13, formedntherein; The is jofa thickness to fit into thejslot 2ifor1nedintheidraft beam and ispivotally held therein arbolt or oother suitable fajse 'a-lso;formed,ofmetal and projects from the tenerlfl ipassed I transversely -through'the draft beam. The openings 13 are spaced vertieally along an arcuate'path, having the opening 12 as its center-and are intended to reeeiveabolt or other removable fastener 15 passed transversely throughthejdraft b'eam in advance'of the bolt 14 By refer-ringto Figure 2, itwill be readily seen that by passing the bolt'15 through aselectedopening 13 theangleof ithe draft beam with respect to the b'la'de fiycontrolled: and the draft beam eaused to fextendat an incline .mostConvenient toft'he men operating the implement QThe forwaId edge of theblade bet'weenthej rm' and shoe 10 is sharpened, as shown at'l6 and therear edge is alsosharp ened, as shown at 17 between theshoe and aprongor arm 18 whichprojeots rearwardly "opposite the arm 11 andpreferably at'an ,up-

ward incline. ,r "The lower edge ofthe prong 18is sharpened, as shown at19 and itsfipper edge is curved downwardly at its free end to interceptthe sharpened: lower edge and provide the prong with a tapered free end.

In Figure 3 there has been shown a blade which may be substituted forthe blade 9. This blade is also formed of tempered metal and at itslower end carries ashoe 21 corresponding to the shoe 10 andprojeetingfrom the sides and forward and rear ends of the blade. The blade extendsupwardly at a. reaiaxfiardfincline and is then carved for n aizclly andmerges into a forwardly extenth 111;; end portionQQcorrespondingtetherarm 11 and adapted to lit into the slot 2 of thedraft beam. The tHJU Q12fQlfW'HlCllX EXtQIIdQ ing portion 22bit theblade is for ned with openings 2 and corresponding to the openir to reee\ie the bolts 14 and The. sharp ened forward edge 25of the blade 20extends partially along the lower ed ge of therar m so that s very goodslicing aetionwill take plane-when the blade is in u se In this fornnthe blade is not proyided with a sharpened rear edge and is also notprovided; with a rearwardly; extending prong. lVhilel have ilanvntwobladesWhichinay be selectively used it will be nnderstood that other seeifie forms of blades may be employed, t will also be obvionslth atitdesired, the shoe;extending along the lower en dflof the. blade may beomitted, a i i a a hen the implement isianse the hladeis embedded in thehlnblberdof the Whale at one Dd thereof with enema bean extendingloiigitndinallyof the Whale, desired, an incision may be firstmadehynieansotthe mam a extendingbprong so, that the blade may initially; oeenpy its, proper positionin the blnbben After thebladelias been properlyeinbedded in the blubber, the oper a'tors grasp the handle, bars and:draw the iniplen'ient fo rxvardl The bladflflvilhoi course, but its Wayt rongh ithe hluhben and theshoe \viiliserve, llOhOlllY to prevent itfrom rea(lily-striking against rihsQbr other obstructions. but also servesito (.nt at oppo; sit sides, of tliebottoin' oi the slit and thus,partially loesen the hlnhber so that it may be n orereadily draggedo'lhol 'theavha le by a suitable grapple. f r i a Al'ter theftirstgentoigslit'tt hasbeen made in the blubher, longitudinally of the whale, asecond out is inadein spa e ed relation to the first out; and this isrepeated until the blahberhaslwelreut into a, innnber oflongitudinallyexteinling strips hielrare then indi;- \"idnally engagedby a suitablegrapple, and drawn loose; froin the body otthe Whale. The stripsshonldlieot-the same width and thereforei ear-h out, on slit must extenda llel to the first slit and at the same d than it throughout itslength. Inoi der to atx 'oinplish this there has been proyide d a s 12and 13, and] respectively" adapted or bar the set serensjifflaretightened and the blocksarillbe tirinly heldin place. Bods or lingers323 which terminate in sharpened ends project radially from the bloeltsand tllfilllQCliS are preijerahly securednpoir the rod to, cause theylingers to extend" down;

wardlltat a tea rn'a rd incline After the first cut or slice has beeninade infthe bluhber,

the linger at one side of the llnljlellfldflt placed in thenslitalreadyinade and as the iinplei'nent is drawn for *ardly th s finger will causethe new slit to bet" rn ed parallel and in proper;spacedrelation to thefirst The other linger will serve to marl;theplaee for the nextrut. Itwill thusbeseenthat after the second out hasheen nade the iinplemeritmay be guided both by means of tlie finger which litsinto apreviously made slit and by the operator taking pains to have the bladefollow: the line markedupon t-he hale hile theislit just finishedwasnnade, As previously explaineth a rope wonndnpon a poweroperatethdrinn or attaehed toa on tor could be hooked into the eye 4%solthat it would not be necessary: to manually draw the innlelnent-fornardly, i i Having thns described the lllyel llllOll lclaim: i 1, A hluhber removing iinple 'nent comprising a draft bean; abhihberenttinghlade dis osed vertically below said ;draftfbean'i anpivotally conneeted therewith for vertical swinginginoveinentlongitudinally of the draft bean to adjnstethposition andineans for releasably securing said blade h'r an adjustedposition. i 2.Aphlubbenremoving implement ethnn-isin ga draft beann ab iuhbe renttinghlade disposed vertically below aid draii't'beain and having avertically disposed sharpened edge, an arm extending iorm rdly froth thellppt i lf portion of said hhnle, a pin up; l thronglrsaid arm and draftbeam to ijnonnt the bl ade. tor X'Ol'lllttll swinging movementlongitndinalln otihe draft lJQtllihlt) adjusted positions and means A toreleasal h i secure said blade in an adjusted position. i

3. A hlubben ren ioving inniile nent C O lllprising a drait beam.ablnbbereuttin blade dis osed verti ally below said draft heani anhaying znvertieally disposed sharpened edge, an arm extendin forwardlyfront the upper portion ofsaid hllide, and formed with a pin receivingopening and vertically spaced fastener receiving openings, said draftbar being provided with a slot to receive said arm and having openingsto register with the openings in the arm, a pin passed through theregistering pin receiving openings to mount said blade for vertical ad'-j ustment, and a removable fastener fitted in the fastener receivingopenings to releasably secure the blade in an adjusted position.

4. A blubber removing implement comprising a draft beam, a blubbercutting blade disposed below said draft beam and having a verticallydisposed portion, an arm extending substantially horizontally from thevertically disposed portion in a vertical plane and fitted into a slotformed longitudinally in said draft beam, a pin passed through said beamand arm to pivotally mount said blade for vertical swinging to adjustedpositions, and a removable fastener passed through said beam and arm toreleasably secure the blade in an adjusted position.

5. A blubber removing implement comprising a draft beam, a blubbercutting blade disposed below said draft beam and having a verticallydisposed portion formed with a sharpened forward edge, an arm extendingforwardly from the vertically disposed portion above its sharpened edge,a shoe extending longitudinally of said blade and secured along itslower edge with portions projecting forwardly and rearwardly therefrom,and means to secure said arm to the rear portion of ,said draft beam.

6. A blubber removing implement comprising a draft beam, a blubbercutting blade disposed below said draft beam and having a verticallydisposed portion .formed with sharpened forward and rear edges, armsextending forwardly and rearwardlyfrom said 'blade above its sharpenededges, the rear arm being tapered and sharpened along its lower edge,means to pivotally connect the forward arm with said draft beam andmount the blade for vertical swin ing to adjusted positions, and meansto re easably secure the blade in an adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature. -EDWIN C. NORTON. s.]

